7 months ago
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Acclaimed euphony composer R. Ilaiyaraaja connected Thursday (November 6, 2025) argued earlier the Madras High Court that movie producers cannot cull retired the songs composed by him for their movies and merchantability the rights to exploit those songs to antithetic euphony labels/third parties.
Appearing earlier Justice N. Senthilkumar, the composer’s counsel A. Saravanan said, his lawsuit neither had an employer-employee narration with immoderate of the movie producers nor had helium fixed them the rights to exploit the songs composed by him arsenic they please.
Contending that the remuneration his lawsuit had received from the movie producers was for payments to beryllium made to the players of philharmonic instruments, dependable recordists, and truthful on, the counsel said, Mr. Ilaiyaraaja had ne'er parted with his rights implicit the songs composed by him.
“A cinematograph movie is abstracted and the philharmonic enactment successful it is separate. The movie producers tin bash immoderate they privation with the full film, on with the songs, but they cannot merchantability the rights of the songs unsocial to 3rd parties without my explicit consent,” the counsel contended.
He challenged the euphony labels to nutrient immoderate papers to beryllium Mr. Ilaiyaraaja had fixed up his rights implicit the songs composed by him successful favour of the movie producers oregon successful favour of anyone else. He besides accused the contiguous users of his songs of distorting and mutilating them by changing their beats and rhythm.
The submissions were made during the proceeding of an exertion filed by Telangana-based Mythri Movie Makers, the producers of Ajith Kumar-starrer Good Bad Ugly (GBU), to vacate an interim injunction granted by the justice successful favour of Mr. Ilaiyaraaja connected September 8, 2025.
Passing interim orders successful a civilian suit filed by the composer, the justice had injuncted the accumulation steadfast from utilizing 3 songs — Otha Ruba Tharen from the 1996 movie Nattupura Pattu featuring histrion Sivakumar, Ilamai Idho Idho from Kamal Haasan starrer 1982 flick Sakalakala Vallavan, and En Jodi Manja Kuruvi from the 1986 movie Vikram — in GBU.
Senior counsel P.V. Balasubramaniam, representing the accumulation firm, told the tribunal his lawsuit had obtained the rights to usage those songs from antithetic euphony labels connected outgo of charges ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹40 lakh but was present suffering an injunction for nary responsibility connected its part.
Similarly, the counsel representing a mates of the euphony labels, from whom Mythri Movie Makers had purchased the rights, told the tribunal they had obtained the rights from fashionable accumulation houses specified arsenic AVM Productions mode backmost successful the 1990s. Mr. Ilaiyaraaja had not entered into immoderate statement with those accumulation firms prohibiting them from selling the rights of the songs composed by him.
They contended that if astatine each Mr. Ilaiyarajaa had to combat a lawsuit against anyone, it indispensable beryllium against the movie producers for whom helium had composed the songs and not against the euphony labels oregon others who were utilizing his songs present aft obtaining the indispensable rights.
Responding to the arguments, Mr. Saravanan said, those who privation to usage his client’s songs indispensable attack him seeking his consent. He could not assistance if they had been fooled by paying wealth to the euphony labels which bash not clasp immoderate rights. After proceeding their elaborate arguments, Justice Senthilkumar reserved orders connected the exertion to vacate the injunction.
